Chemistry "chemicalizes" life
At the appointed time with Associate Professor, Dr. Nguyen Minh Tan, we arrived at the Institute for Research and Development of Natural Compounds Applications - INAPRO, Hanoi University of Science and Technology. The door opened and I was a bit surprised when in front of me was a lecturer with a unique short haircut, a bright smile and a quick demeanor, warmly welcoming the strange guests. I use the word "surprise" because Associate Professor, Dr. Nguyen Minh Tan looked very different from my imagination of a scientist - Director of the Research Institute of a leading university in the country, and also the leading author of 7 patents in Vietnam and 1 international patent publication PCT; head of 5 topics at all levels that have been completed and accepted...
Associate Professor, Dr. Nguyen Minh Tan led us to her office and told us about her special connection and connection with Hanoi University of Science and Technology. “My dream when I was a child was to be a lawyer because I liked to argue, like logical, tight, convincing arguments. When I grew up, I started to like chemistry…” On the day of registering for the university entrance exam, with “sky-high” confidence and a bit of competitive spirit, the young girl Minh Tan bet with the boys in her class that if she wanted to become a “hero”, she must pass the Polytechnic entrance exam. She did pass, and then became a new student of K35 majoring in Chemical Technology at Hanoi University of Science and Technology. Later, listening to the advice of her relatives, she decided to choose the major of Chemical Technology Equipment Process and became the only female student of K35 studying this major.
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Associate Professor, Dr. Nguyen Minh Tan shared about the technologies installed right in the school to serve the needs of teaching and research. |
In 1995, the school trained a team of successor lecturers, so she and two other classmates were retained at the school. In 2000, after completing her master's program, Associate Professor, Dr. Nguyen Minh Tan won a scholarship from the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) and pursued a doctorate at the Dresden University of Technology (TU Dresden) in Germany, then continued her postdoctoral research at Johanes Kepler University Linz, Austria. In early 2005, she returned to Hanoi University of Science and Technology, continuing her teaching and research career there until now.
Science for humanity
For Associate Professor, Dr. Nguyen Minh Tan, doing science is not only a career but also a responsibility, a passion and a journey of continuous discovery. She finds joy in solving difficult problems, in seeing her ideas become reality and bringing practical values to the community. Accordingly, her point of view when doing scientific research is "Do not research what you have, but research what society needs" and whatever you do, you must be "passionate", enthusiastic, and never give up.
One of the major goals that Associate Professor, Dr. Nguyen Minh Tan and his colleagues are aiming for is to promote digital transformation and green transformation in the agricultural processing sector, especially for small and medium enterprises. She pondered: “I always think about how to make our people less miserable. To strengthen the country's internal strength, like a healthy body with good resistance, science is the way. The country's major issues, from economic to social, all need the cooperation of science to find the right direction, to best serve the people. That is where science serves people's lives.”
This can be clearly seen through her research works. Concerned about the story of "good harvest, low price" of Vietnamese agricultural products, Associate Professor, Dr. Nguyen Minh Tan and his colleagues cooperated with the research group of Professor Samhaber, Institute of Process Equipment (Johannes Kepler University Linz, Republic of Austria) to research and successfully develop JEVA technology (Juice EVAporation Technology) - a tropical fruit juice concentration technology that integrates membrane processes to preserve flavor, color and beneficial bioactive substances in processed products. Notably, at the time of the Covid-19 pandemic, JEVA technology has been applied as an important measure to "rescue" the Vietnamese agricultural product market. This technology allows businesses to purchase fruits of various qualities to process into concentrated fruit juice products that can be preserved at room temperature without preservatives, meeting the strict requirements of many demanding markets such as Europe, the US, and Japan.
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Associate Professor, Dr. Nguyen Minh Tan at INAPRO Institute Laboratory (Hanoi University of Science and Technology). |
In addition, Associate Professor, Dr. Nguyen Minh Tan also developed a process of lowering honey using JEVA technology, which helps retain the nutrients and antioxidant activity of honey. This technology has been deployed in the production of herbal honey products, bringing high economic value to farmers and businesses. With the advantage of not using chemicals and low energy consumption, JEVA technology is very suitable for application in small-scale processing facilities without stable raw material sources in Vietnam.
Looking at the current contributions of JEVA technology, Associate Professor, Dr. Nguyen Minh Tan proudly shared: “It took us 16 years to bring JEVA technology to life, but the wait was completely worth it. Because JEVA technology not only helps increase product value but also contributes to modernizing the country’s agricultural processing industry, bringing Vietnamese fruits and vegetables to large potential markets.”
After JEVA technology, she and her colleagues are currently participating in a project to research and develop the "Electronic Nose" technology. This is a device capable of identifying and analyzing odor molecules, thereby determining the status as well as the time of harvest, the ripening time of the product, and monitoring the quality of the product during processing and transportation. According to Associate Professor, Dr. Nguyen Minh Tan, with the goal of digital transformation and green transformation in agricultural processing, her project also focuses on applying technology to improve economic efficiency, reduce emissions and make full use of raw materials to suit small and medium enterprises.
During the conversation, I curiously asked her how she assessed the current scientific “playground” for women in Vietnam. She smiled, her eyes shining with confidence: “With the attention and support from the Party, the State and the support of society, Vietnam is currently creating a very good and favorable environment for the development of female scientists. Especially since Resolution No. 57-NQ/TW of the Politburo on breakthroughs in science, technology, innovation and national digital transformation, the position of scientists has been even more respected”. She emphasized that this change in perception and policy not only brings pride but also adds great motivation to those who are working hard on the path of research. Although there are many challenges, this is also the time for scientists, especially female scientists, to seize new development opportunities, confidently affirm their capacity and contribute to the common prosperity of the country.
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